Links

Categories

And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.William Shakespeare

These images are the product of an intensely spiritual afternoon; I refer to them when I need to remember the world is a magical, beautiful place… which seems to be happening more and more frequently these days. Taken around Grandview Beach, in Leucadia, CA on New Year’s Day 2010, I felt as though I was walking within a dreamscape and all the world had been rendered to watercolor; the walls between worlds seemed thinner and blurred somehow, the temperature never varied and was neither hot nor cold, and the light remained in a constant state of in-between.

It is true that Nature can quiet even the most broken of hearts; this gallery is dedicated to everyone whose heart is breaking from the horrific violence and senseless death in Norway, in India, and everywhere else; to everyone whose mind is reeling from the climate of overwhelming disrespect so perfectly showcased by our media and our political leaders, and to those who simply wish to live, separate and apart from the madness.

You never know; this just might be it. If Rapture Man and the Hallelujah Gypsies are correct, today will mark the End of the World As We Know It. According to them, my kids won’t even make it through dinner before The End officially ends it all. I have lots of friends on Facebook who have lost sleep over what might happen today; of course I have many other friends who are blatantly blowing raspberries at the whole idea. Either way, every single one of us has something in common: we’ve all engaged in a moment (or several) of self-reflection, and we’ve all come away with a stronger sense of appreciation for the moments we’ve had on this awesome planet, and for the people we’ve shared them with. Here’s where I think Rapture Man just might have succeeded in his prediction of the End of the World As We Know It.

Respectfully moving past all the differences in opinion of How It All Came To Be, we’ll land in the inescapable, undeniable and truly wondrous world of Quantum Physics. Basic metaphysical laws dictate that awareness and emotion create profound change at the most fundamental levels. Faced with the prospect of today’s impending doom, I can’t help but notice that we’re not thinking about all the negative stuff that seems to come with Life. We’re not bitching about the little irritations, the folks who cut us off on the freeway, the rude cashier at the grocery store. We’re spending our time, energy, awareness and emotion actively appreciating our lives, feeling super-lucky to have our friends and family, and even formulating healthy inner visions about how we can be even better people, should we live to see tomorrow.

I, for one, am absolutely flooded with love and gratitude; my moments on Earth have been nothing short of magical. When I contemplate my crazy life path, I stand awestruck at its twistings and turnings; how am I so lucky as to have shared such awesome unpredictable moments with so many utterly fantastic people? I am so fortunate to have known you all. And the places I’ve seen! I mean, how incredible is this planet, with its jagged, breathtaking peaks and shaded, womb-like wooded valleys; its quietly burbling baby streams that eventually grow to feed the raging rivers, determined to indelibly carve their energy into the face of the planet as they race to join the vast oceans teeming with unseen life at the end of the line. It’s all interconnected. And how humbling it has been to stand on a beach as the waves crash against it, wiggle my toes in the foam and realize I’m getting to watch the whole cycle begin again. Yep, I’m grateful. And I know I’m not alone.

So, if we’re all focusing today on what we appreciate, if our awareness and emotion is centered on memories and thoughts that transport us back to an ultimate state of Love, then maybe Rapture Man and the Halleleujah Gypsies have correctly prophesied The End of the World As We Know It, unwittingly helping us find our collective power to create an even better one in its place.

(And, at the very least, I’ve just come up with a damn fine name for a band!)